Needle lead fastening device for warp knitting machines



`July 27, 1965 J, zEB sc|-| 3,196,639

NEEDLE LEAD FASTENING DEVICE FOR WARP KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 15, 1965 T 22/ MW Il l5 7 6 f 5 w F|G.3 3 8 IN VEN TOR.

l??? Zlschf w ZM United States Patent O 3,196,639 NEEDLE LEAD FASTENING DEVICE FOR WARP KNITTING MACHINES y Josef Zebisch, Grabenstrasse 2, Obertshausen, Germany Filed Oct. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 316,260 Claims priority, application Germany, Oct. 19, 1962,

M 42,778 Claims. (Cl. 156-114) This invention relates to knitting machines, and more particularly to a device for fastening needle leads to the needle bar of a knitting machine.

It is conventional to secure the needle leads in a warp knitting machine to the needle bar by means of cover plates attached to the bar by screws. When a screw is tightened, the corresponding cover plate abuttingly engages the needle lead and urges it into frictional engagement with the needle bar, thereby preventing movement of the needle lead. Unless area contact between the cover plate and the needle lead is achieved, the needle bar is not held securely in place. Such area contact is not available unless the cover plate is carefully aligned with the needle bar. A relatively great amount of an roperators Itime is spent on aligning the plates and the needle leads whenever needle leads have to be mounted 0r replaced on a needle bar.

The object of the invention is the avoidance of misalignment between cover plate and needle bar.

Another object is the provision of an arrangement of the type described, in which an operator does not need to concern himself with aligning the cover plate with the lead, yet secure seating of the needle lead on the needle bar is ensured.

With these and other objects in view, the invention in one of its aspects resides mainly in a cover plate arrangement consisting of two hingedly connected members, hereinafter referred to as a pressure plate and a shoe. The pressure plate is fastened to the needle bar in such a manner that the hingedly attached shoe abuttingly engages the needle lead in a direction transverse to the principal direction of sliding movement of the needle lead on the needle bar under the stresses of knitting.

Other features land many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be better understood from the following detailed descripti-on of a preferred embodiment, when considered in conjunction with the attached drawing in which:

FIG. l shows one cover plate arrangement of the invention and portions of two juxtaposed identical arrangements in front elevation;

FIG. 2 illustrates the cooperation between a cover plate arrangement of the invention, as shown in FIG. 1, and the associated other elements of a knitting machine in side-elevational section on the line II-Il; and

FIG. 3 shows the cover plate arrangement of FIG. l in enlarged plan section on the line III-III.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. l, there is seen a cover plate arrangement for a warp knitting machine, consisting mainly of a pressure plate 1 and a shoe 2. The pressure plate 1 consists of a piece of sheet metal in spring temper having originally the approximate shape of an isosceles triangle. The edge portion 3 of the metal piece at the base and the point portion 4 opposite the base are bent out of the plane of the remaining sheet in such a manner that the pressure plate 1 has a U-shape when sectioned in its plane of symmetry, as shown in FIG. 2. The bent-over edge portion 3 and the bent-over point portion 4 project in parallel planes in the same direction.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the edge portion 3 is notched in such a manner as to leave two relatively short rec- 3,196,639 Patented July 27, 1965 ice4 tangular projections 5, 6 at the corners, and a larger rounded projection 7 in the center of the base. The central projection has an opening 8 therethrough. A much larger opening 9 is arranged near the geometrical center of the pressure plate 1.

The shoe 2 is an elongated bar of approximately trapezoidal cross section, as is evident from FIG. 2. A groove 10 extends longitudinally in the narrower one of the two parallel faces of .the shoe 2. The groove 10 is of uniform depth, except for the central portion 11 which spacedly'accommodates .the rounded projection 7 of the pressure plate 1. The two corner projections 5, 6 of the pressure plate abut against the bottom of the groove 10 in the operative position of the cover plate illustrated in FIG. 2.

One end 4of the shoe 2 has a triangular notch 12, and the other end has a projection 13 conforming to the notch so that the notches and projections of alignedly juxtaposed shoes 2, 2', 2 engage each other in the manner of tongue-and-groove j-oints.

Lugs 14 on the sh-oe 2 on opposite sides of the groove 10 hold a pin 15 which engages the opening 8 in the pressure plate 1. As best` seen in FIG. 3, the cross section -of the pin 15 is smaller than the opening 8 so that the pin and opening form a universal joint permitting at least limited pivotal movement of the shoe with respect to the pressure plate in all directions from the illustrated position, whilefastening the two members of the cover plate arrangement to each other.

FIG. 2 also shows a portion of a generally conventional needle bar 16. It has a shoulder 17 against which a needle lead 18 abuts in the usual manner. A needle 19, only partially shown, is embedded in the lead 18. Movement of the lead 18 in the direction of elongation of the needle 19 is prevented by the pressure of the wider parallel face of the shoe 2 which urges the lead 18 against face 20 of the needle bar. The necessary force is provided by a screw 21 which freely passes through the central opening 9 in the pressure plate 1 and threadedly engages a tapped hole 22 in the needle bar 16. A washer 23 is abuttingly interposed between the head 24 of the screw 21 and the outer face of the pressure plate 1.

The point portion 4 and the two rectangular projections 5, 6 of the pressure plate 1 provide three resilient abutments of which one engages the needle bar 16 whereas the other two engage the shoe 2. The l-oose t of the pin 15 in the opening 8 permits limited tilting movement of the shoe 2 in the vertical plane of FIG. 2. The removal of one needle lead and its replacement by another lead requires n-o more than the loosening of the screw 21, and its subsequent tightening. The dimensional relationship `of the pin 15 and opening 8 prevents the shoe from pivoting too far from its operative position. It is returned to the illustrated operative position by engagement with the face of the needle lead 18 when .the screw 21 is tightened until full area contact between the shoe 2 and the needle lead 17 is established. The contact' is maintained by the resilient pressure of the plate 1.

The groove-and-tongue engagement of the notches 12 and projections 13 of juxtaposed shoes ensures longitudinal alignment of the several shoes, thereby holding each shoe in an angular position relative to the axis of the associated pin 15 which favors secure fastening of the needle leads.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of .the example of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is: n 1. In a knitting machine, in combination: (a) a needle bar; (b) needle lead means movable on said needle bar in a predetermined direction; (c) `a plate member; (d) fastening means for fastening said plate member to said needle bar in predetermined spatial relationship; and (e) a shoe member hingedly secured to said plate member andabuttingly engaging said needle lead means for urgingv the same toward said needle bar .transversely of said direction when said plate member is in said spatial relationship to said needle bar. 2. VIn a knitting machine ,as set forth in claim l, said fastening means including a threaded member having an axis and engaging said plate member and said needle bar for axially moving the same relative to each other when said threaded member is rotated about said axis.y Y

3. In a knitting machine as set forth in claim 1, said platermember abuttingly engaging said needle bar when in said spatial relationship to the latter. 4; Ina knitting machine as set forth in claim 1, said plate member having three portions spaced from each other, tvvo of said portions constituting rst abutment means,- and the third portion constituting second abutment means, one of said abutment means abuttingly engaging saidv needle bar, and the other abutment means abuttingly engaging said shoe member.

5; In a knitting machine as set forth in claim 4, said plate member being of resiliently yieldable material, and

Y said fastening means engaging a fourth portion of said plate member spaced from said .three portions.

6. In al knitting machine as set forth in claim 4, said shoe member being formed with a groove therein, and said first abutment means engaging said groove.

7. In a knitting machine as set forth in claim 4, said plate member having an edge portion, the two portions of said rst abutment means projecting from said edge portion and being at least partly received inV a groove of said shoe member.

8. In a knitting machine as set forth in claim 7, an integral projection on said edge portion intermediate the two portions of said rst abutment means, and securing means for hingedly securing said projection to said shoe member.

9. In a knitting machine as set forth in claim 8, said securing means and said projection jointly constituting a universal joint.

lil. In a knitting machine, in combination:

(a) a needle bar;

(b) a plurality of needle lead means movable on said needle bar in a predetermined direction;

(c) a plurality of plate members;

(d) fastening means for fastening said plate members tor said needle bar;

(e) a plurality of shoe members hingedly secured to respective plate members and abuttingly engaging respective ones of said needle lead means for urging the same toward said needle bar transversely of said direction when the associated plate member is in Said spatial relationship to said needle bar.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A KNITTING MACHINE, IN COMBINATION: (A) A NEEDLE BAR; (B) NEEDLE LEAD MEANS MOVABLE ON SAID NEEDLE BAR IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION; (C) A PLATE MEMBER; (D) FASTENING MEANS FOR FASTENING SAID PLATE MEMBER TO SAID NEEDLE BAR IN PREDETERMINED SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP; AND (E) A SHOE MEMBER HINGEDLY SECURED TO SAID PLATE MEMBER AND ABUTTINGLY ENGAGING SAID NEEDLE LEAD MEANS FOR URGING THE SAME TOWARD SAID NEEDLE BAR TRANSVERSELY OF SAID DIRECTION WHEN SAID PLATE MEMBER IS IN SAID SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP TO SAID NEEDLE BAR. 